1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments described herein relate to computer networks. In particular, embodiments herein relate to computer networks serving one or more client users.
2. Related Art
Local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs) have provided enterprises with a system allowing computer workstations to communicate with one another through routers and servers. Such LANs and WANs typically include gateways to a public data communication network such as the Internet. Establishing communication between computer workstations in the network with a network server typically requires specialized and cost by expertise to ensure that network software on the computer workstations is configured properly to communicate with the server. There is, therefore, a need for a more simplified system and method of configuring client computer workstations to communicate with the server.
Enterprise networks typically include a printer server or spooler for transmitting print jobs to a network printer. This typically requires implementing complicated print driver software in the printer server to format print jobs for a particular network printer coupled to the network through an Ethernet port. There is a need for more simplified system of sharing printer resources among users in an enterprise network.
Enterprise networks typically provide shared memory resources allocated to users on the network. The files stored on these shared memory devices is typically backed-up on a periodically basis to a separate backup memory such as a tape drive. This process typically requires operator involvement to load the tape to the tape drive and input of commands to the network server to copy the files to the backup memory. There is a need for a simpler, more convenient system and method of creating backup images for shared memory resources in an enterprise network.
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a server appliance for communication with one or more client computer workstations in a data communication network. In one embodiment, a procedure initiates communication between a client computer workstation and the server appliance based upon a version of an operating system executing on the client computer workstation. In another embodiment, a control panel allows a system operator or administrator to display system information from the server appliance by making input selections at the control panel. In another embodiment, the server appliance acts as a printer server for a shared parallel port printer. In another embodiment, administrative privileges may be delegated to an administrator at a remote server in a public data communication network. These and other embodiments are described in the following description and Figures.